How many of us expect to know the age which we die?

A morbid question, so do not reply if it disturbs you. It is a question we mortals have to think of.

Even though most of us are young and healthy, had you ever thought what age you expect to live before you die? This question came to my mind when I learned that my grandmother (who is in her early eighties) is in tired state, and there is fear that she may die this year. My mother told me that if her mother dies, we will have to travel to Southern California for her funeral as we live in the East Coast. Even though I have relatives who died in my lifetime, I never had a personal connection with them unlike my grandmother. It shows that life has its limits and we do not always know the time when we will pass away.

I had been thinking about the question and I had expected that I will live to my seventies or eighties before I expire. Since most deaths are from natural causes, I may die from a disease, a cancer, or die in my sleep. If I want to die from natural causes, it would from sleeping. I really could not imagine the pain and agony of dying from a disease or cancer that most people will suffer before they die. I will say no more for now.

It could happen anytime, anywhere, so there is no purpose to living in fear of it. I myself don't sit and think on what I believe my life expectancy will be. That just leads to regret, because you start thinking that if you don't live to X number of years, you won't feel like you had a fulfilling life. I would rather spend my time alive trying to be as happy as possible and knowing that when the moment comes, I won't feel like I'm leaving anything. Of course, noone knows what death is like so who knows what the hell they'll feel or think when the time comes?

I figure if I make it to 70 I'll be very surprised. When you phrase it in terms of knowing the age which we die, that implies to me an active choice in ending it--which, after having seen people go after a long battle with cancer, isn't a bad thing.

My grandfather will be 87 next month. He's been saying that he feels like it's his time for about five years now, but he's still healthy, and able to take care of himself. The thing that bums him out is having outlived so many of his friends and relatives, particularly my mother and grandmother.

Thik, I don't know your situation and the relationship you have with your grandmother--but have you thought about going to visit your her now?

Death is what makes life worth living and it is absolutely terrifying.

Death isn't terrifying to me. I like to think of it as a long, restful sleep in which I never have to get up and go to the bathroom. One of my favorite quotes, and I forget the author, is this (no doubt I'm paraphrasing):

"Everyone talks about how death is the worst thing that can possibly happen to us. How do you know that death isn't the greatest thing that could possibly happen to us?"

I have two great grandmothers, One on each side, that were both born in 1906 and are still alive and well today. So I know that I have a little longevity in my family. that being said, there is a world of different between me and my grandmothers. There are so many things that we have to live with now a days that they never had to live with. 15 years from now i'll probably be dead from come kind of lethal radiation given off from all my computers and stereo equipment.

With all the new technology, bio-engineered foods, etc... whose to say a decade or so down the road they are going to find out that something we've all been doing has lethal side effects. Maybe thay fake sugar stuff they put in diet-cola is actually bad for you... who knows.

If genetics have anything to do with it, I'll probably live into my nineties at least. Both of my grandfathers are still alive and around 90.

Not only does it have something to do with it, it's probably the most important factor. My father is 81 (I'm 30....he had me late in life). He still has an older brother (85) and older sister (88) who are healthy and completely self sufficient.

My grandparents on my father's side both lived to be in their mid 90's. By that basis alone, I expect to live a long, long time. And I augment that by living a healthy lifestyle, so who knows how long I'll be around?

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By the way, my Deathtest predicted I would die on December 10, 2061 at the age of 90. Right what I expect.